The present invention relates to identification card printers. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of converting a paper sheet feed printer into an identification card printer by adapting the sheet feeding components of the sheet feed printer to feed and process cards.
Ink jet printers have been found to do a satisfactory job of printing on identification cards, and low cost ink jet paper sheet feed printers are available. These ink jet printers are generally provided with paper sheet feed mechanisms that typically feed individual paper sheets such as 8xc2xdxc3x9711xe2x80x3 or A4 size to a printhead for printing. The sheet feed mechanism is specifically adapted to feed these thin, flexible and wide paper sheets. The printhead and the driving components of the sheet feed mechanism are relatively low cost, very accurate, and easily controlled.
Identification card printers have also been advanced for printing on rigid or semi-rigid cards. Identification card printers include their own printheads as well as a card transport mechanism that is specifically adapted to feed the cards to the printhead for processing.
There is a continuing need for improvements to identification card printers including reducing their cost while providing high performance card printing. Therefore, it would be desirable to take advantage of the low cost of high quality sheet feed printers by adapting them to handle the feeding and processing of identification cards.
The present invention relates to a method of forming an identification card printer from an existing sheet feed printer. In the method, a sheet feed printer is provided having a printhead and a sheet feed mechanism that is driven by a sheet feed drive to feed paper sheets to the printhead for printing. Next, the sheet feed mechanism is replaced with a card transport mechanism that is used to feed cards from a card supply to the printhead for printing. The card transport mechanism is then linked to the sheet feed drive through a feed drive link. Finally, a master controller for controlling the operation of the card transport mechanism is installed. Additional aspects of the present invention relate to an identification card printer formed in accordance with the above-described method.